Improvement in machines for turning wagon-spokes



` UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

fr. DERINQTON, or" GAEB'ONDALE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN `tllnoHlNtIs FOR TURNING wAcoN-sPoKl-zs.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,099, dated August 14, 1866.

To all whom it mag/concern:- p p Be it known that I, T. DERINGTON, ofCarbondale, Jackson county, State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful ."Ini-l provements iniMaehinery for `Turning Spokes and I do hereby declare that the following `is:

afull, clear, and `exact description thereof,` reference beinghadto the accompanying draw-` ings, making a part of this specigicatiomin` whichy Thisinvention relates to certain "novel improvelnents in the `spoke turning `machine which was secured to me by Letters Patent bearing datelJanuary 26, `1864, "in whicha vibrating cutter-carriage was `operated by means of a'spirally-grooved pattern in such manner that, by the revolution of such pattern,

. the cutters were guided and theirmovements controlled by said pattern. 1 l j One of the objects of my invention is to so construct a spirally-grooved feed-in g and shaping `pattern for" controlling the action of the; cutters that this pattern shall give a fast feed-` ing-motion tothe carriagewhich supportstheI cutters during the operation of `cutting that; portionof` the spoke which is"` `nearly `cylin-` dric, and a slow feeding-motion thereto duringi the operation of cutting `that `portieri of? the spoke which is nearly iiatand very irregular, thus adapting the speed of the cutter-carriage to the varying irregularity of the spokes, and producing thereby smoother spokes, or caus-` ing the cutters to" perform smoother work on the sloping or wide and nearlyflat portion of the irregular articles being turned.` l i `Another objectofniyinvention isto suspend the cutter-carriage bymeans of grooved rollers upon a rail in such `manner that the carriage is free tovibrate and to conform to the irregj ular shape of *the pattern, andalso to move steadily backorforward in afdirection with the lengthlof this "pattern, and tosupport'said guiding-rail upon a beam which is susceptible of being adjusted parallel toward and `from the work or front part of the machine, as will he hereinafter described.

Another obj ect of my invention is to provide for holding the cutter-frame up to the pattern by a spring, and to rotate the cutter-shaft on said frame by` means of traveling belts acting on each end of this shaft, so as to preserve a `uniform bearing on each side of the cutter, as

will be hereinafter described.V

Another object".of my invention is to provide an auxiliary set of `cutters on the right and left side of a main set of cutters, which sets of auxiliary cutters `do not extend out as far as the said main cutters, and by this means, in connection with the reciprocating movement of the carriage which supports the cutters, and a consequent back and forward feed ofthe cutters, prevent' a splintering or slivering of Y the wobd both during the cutting of a spoke in the forward and backward movements of the carriage. My construction of the cutter is such that only one set of auxiliary cutters acts at a time, this operation being so whether the spoke isfcut atwits large or small end first, `for thereaslonthat the main set of cutters projects out `far enough beyond the auxiliary sets of `cuttersto leave a clear track for that set of auxiliary cutters which follows after it; and thus, when the right set of auxiliary cuttershas, by preceding the main or finishing set, cut the rough wood away, and the main set has lfollowed them and cut into the wood stilldeeper, there isnothing which re-` mains tofhe done by the left auxiliary set.

becoming the preceding cutters to themain or finishing cutters, the Work of roughing the stuft' devolves upon` said left set of cutters,

and nothing is left to be done by the rightauxiliary set of cutters, and this is so although the spoke is cut from :its broad end toward its l smallend, because the main cutters cut deep ,Aenoughto remove all wood out of thepath of the cutters which follow them.

To enable others skilled in theart to understand my invention, `I will describe its" con- Struct-ion and operation.

` Inl the accompanying drawings,A represents the frame of the machine, which is constructed with its front side and ends vertical and its rear side inclined, as shown in the drawings, for the purpose of affording a wide base and steadiness. Near the base of this frame is a horizontal drum, B, which should be arranged so that it will be parallel to the axis of the pattern that controls the movements of the cutter-frame. The length of this drum B should be somewhat greater than the distance required for the cutter-carriage to travel, so that the belts B B', which. vpass around this drum and also around pulleys a a on the cutter-shaft a', shall 'have freedom to travel the required distance.

The cutter-shaft a has its bearings in a vibrating pendant or frame, C, and is driven by means of the two belts B B', passing over the two pulleys on the extremities of said shaft. By thus having two driving belts and pulleys the cutter-shaft will have an equal bearing on each side of the cutter-heead C', and will run with much less friction and vibration than if only one driving-belt was used'. The cuttercarriage will also be held in a much steadier position by this arrangement.

The carriage U is suspended from a longitudinal beam, C?, by means of two straps, b b,

- which are placed as tride of this beam and provided with grooved roller-supports b b', which are guided and kept in place by means of a rail, b2, upon which said rollers move. This rail b2 and the supporting-rollers b b allow the lower end ofthe carriage C to swing freely up to and from the pattern, as will be hereinafter described. They also allow said carriage to be moved freely by the pattern backward or forward in a direction with the length thereof. f

N ear the lower end, and in fron-t of the carriage C, a stud, c, is secured rigidly to it, which stud has a tooth, c', applied to it so as to lit loosely in a spiral groove, e, which is formed in the surface of a pattern, D, as shown in Figs. l and 4. This pattern D is conlined Y between two centers, t' i', projecting from the parallel to the beam C2 and driving-drum B. The center point, t", is the inner termination of the shaft of a wheel, E, which receives a rotary motion from the main drum B through the medium of belts and pulleys, as will be hereinafter described. As the pattern Dis thus rotated the spiral groove e will move the carriage G upon its rail, and thus produce the feed for the cutters. The tooth c is kept in the groove e of the pattern D by means of a curved spring, e', (shown in Fig. 4,) which is affixed to the lower end of the carriage() at one end and hooked over a longitudinal rod, f, at the other end. To allow this latter end of the spring e to move freely over its rod f, Iapply an anti-friction roller, j", to-it, as shown in Fig. 4C. The spring c will keep the tooth c in its groove, and at the same time allow the lower end of the cutter-carriage to vibrate and conform to the irregular shape of the pattern.

The spur-wheel E engages with aspur-wheel, E', of a corresponding size, on a shaft, g, which shaft has a centering chuck or pin, g', on its inner end, for receiving and centering one end of the stuff of which a spoke is formed. The opposite end of the stuff is centered by. an adjustable pin, g2, whose axis coincides with the axis of the shaft g. The axis of the shaft g -is parallel to the axis of the shaft of the wheel E.I

The wheel-E engages with a pinion spurwheel, h, which is keyed on a short shaft, h', and this shaft carries two fast pulleys, j j, and two loose pulleys, k k, over which pass belts h2 h3, that receive their motion from the pulleys F. The belt h2 is crossed, but the belt 71.3 is not. Consequently, by shifting thesebelts Vupon their respective pulleys j 7c, the motions of the wheels E E and the pattern D can be reversed as desired.

The pulleys F are rotated by means of a belt, la', which passes over a pulley on one end of the shaft of the drum B, as shown in Fig. 2.

It maybe desirable at times to reverse the feed-motion by hand, and at other times to do it automatically; and to this end I haverarranged the belt-shifter G, as shown. This shifter lconsists of a rod having two toes,l Z, fastened to it at suitable points, and also two loops, m m, which latter pass around the belts h2 h3, and

shift these belts when the rod Gis moved en'dwise.

The toesl lare located at such a distance apart and arranged in such relation to the length of the stulf which is being turned thatl when the lcutter-head C arrives at the termination of its forward stroke the carriage (l will strike one of said toes and shift the belts, so that -they reverse the movement of the pattern,

which then moves the carriage back until the carriage strikes the other toe Z, when the movement of the carriage will again be reversed.

. the carriage C is suspended, are tted intothe main frame A, so that its axis of motion is.A

transverse supporting-beams-of the frame A,

. so as to receive a lateral adjustment without being moved out of its parallel position with relation to the pattern D. This adjustment -of said beam is effectedV by means of two toothed segments,u a, which are keyed to a longitudinal rod, J that carries a hand-crank on one end. The toothed segments n a engage with racks p p, which are secured to the beam, so

. that by slightly turning the rod J the beam C2 can be moved forward or backward without losing its parallelism.

The rotary cutter head C is constructed with annular flanges on its sides, which are slotted to receive the shanks of the cutters S S. The side cutters, S, are made in the form ,of hooks curving outward, as shown in Fig. v1, and are used for the purpose of reducing ,the rough surfaces of the stuft' preparatory to smoothing itby means of the intermediate looped cutters, S'. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

cut away all Wood which would come in the path of whichever of the auxiliary sets that is following behind it; and the auxiliary sets of cutters are to project from the head C far` y enough to enable one or the other set, accordingly as the direction of the feed of the cutter-carriage may require, to rough and pre pare the wood for the following nishing or main set of cutters.

The cutters S are curved or hook-shaped for the purpose of preventing the stuff from slivering during the operation of cutting it. They precede the cutters `S and prevent these cutters from slivering the stuff. Both sets of cutters may be applied to their circular head C', so that they can be adjusted uat pleasure.

The pattern D is made so that it conforms in shape to the shape of the spokes or `other objects desired, after which this pattern is grooved, as shown in Fig. l, the groove passing spirally around it and extending from one end to the other. In forming this spiral groove e in the pattern D, reference must `be had to the varying diameter or thickness of the pattern, and as its diameter increases the spaces between the grooves must be diminished, so

that the cutter-carriage will not be moved as fast during the operation of cuttingthe sloping or irregular nearlyiiat portions of a spoke as it is moved during the operation of cutting the nearly cylindric portions thereof.

By this mode of grooving the pattern it will be seen that as the irregularity of work inf creases the speed with which the carriageand its cutters are moved will be diminished.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The feeding and governing pattern, constructed with irregular grooves or threads, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement of rollers b b', straps b b, and horizontally-adjustable beam C2, with rail onA its top, in a machine which is constructed and operated substantially as described, all for the purpose set forth.

3. The arrangement of the spring e', with its roller f, upon the cutter-carriage, and the rail f, for holding the tooth c up to the pattern,

substantially as herein described.

4. The arrangement, with the cutter-head, of

a pulley on both ends of its shaft, and applying belts, which move with the cutter-carriage,

on both ofsaid pulleys, of the head, all for the' purpose of driving the cutter with a more reg- ,ulaii and steady motion,.as herein set forth.

5. The combination of a cutter-head, coni structed with right and left auxiliary sets of cutters S S and a central main or finishing set of cutters, with a reciprocating carriage and the feeding-pattern, constructed as described, so that the work of roughing and smoothing is performed at one time, and also during the back as well as the forward movement of the cutter-carriage, substantially as herein described.

THEOPHILUS DERINGTON.

Witnesses: i

T. H. DERRINGTON, F. A. RIGKETTs. 

